Quince tree - no fruit forming

[Wildgarden]

Last October we moved to a house with many mature fruit trees including 2 large quince trees. Both quince trees fruited prolifically last autumn. They both flowered well this spring. But there is no sign of any fruit on either tree at the moment. I've never owned a quince tree before. Do quince trees normally fruit every year? Is there anything I should be doing now - or should have done earlier this year?

[Jeanied]

You don't say where you are Wildgarden - or your growing conditions. Usually quinces are trouble free but will suffer if conditions are frosty.

[Wildgarden]

Thanks Jeanied. We are in the Cotswolds. Last winter was relatively mild with some frosts - but not very many - and no snow, but we did have lots of rain (no floods here though thankfully). Paradoxically both trees fruited well last October despite lots of snow & long winter of 2012/2013?? The trees are in rough lawn on a north-facing gentle slope, with apple/pear trees nearby.

[yummersetter]

I have a very small crop this year from my two quince trees - last year I was giving a carrier bag full to everyone who came up the path. This is the first time in fifteen years that I haven't been propping the branches up, though there was a normal amount of flowers. Several of my always reliable apple varieties have barely any fruit too, others that just produce when they feel like it are laden. There's rarely a 'normal' year, is there? No obvious cause and the weather was benign. There are tables of minimum winter chilling hours for fruit tree varieties, perhaps it wasn't cold enough.

At least we'll get through the Quince Jelly backlog. I expect there'll be loads of quinces again next year

[Alison]

Mine fruited for the first time last year and has probably about twice the number of fruits forming this year - fingers crossed I haven't now jinxed them!

[boundtothesoil]

Several of my always reliable apple varieties have barely any fruit too, others that just produce when they feel like it are laden. There's rarely a 'normal' year, is there? No obvious cause and the weather was benign. There are tables of minimum winter chilling hours for fruit tree varieties, perhaps it wasn't cold enough.

I don't have any quince trees, or experience of them, so I can't help with the question here, but I'm interested that you've got light crops on some of your reliable apple varieties. I'm in the same situation and was going to ask if anyone else was likewise. After profuse blossom on most varieties, I have very light crops on Discovery, James Grieve, Sunset and Ellison's orange (not previously a biennial bearer for me). These varieties have always given me good crops. The same has happened with Conference Pears, after a great show of blossom and plenty of bee activity. Generally, the blossom/pollination period was pretty good weather-wise here all the way through from the plums. But the winter in thiws part of mid Wales was very mild with only a couple of light frosts. I suspect the 'not cold enough' situation you mention may have something to do with this.

[Wildgarden]

Good point Yummersetter.
Interesting perspectives on other fruit trees too. My conference pear tree doesn't seem to have any fruit forming either (and it cropped well last year), whereas all of my apple trees (no idea of varieties, but all different) seem to have a decent crop forming this year...

[Martin H]

Just to make you jealous, my conference has loads of fruit on this year...

[yummersetter]

I have half the usual crop of Sunset apples, its the biennial off-year' on James Grieve (which may be connected with low cropping on other apples) but normal Ellisons Orange Red. The big shocker is my twenty-three year old Kidd's Orange Red, which has been covered in fruit every year. Today its ' I think I can see an apple . . there's another one over there and maybe one in the middle.' Serves me right for shouting its praises on this forum for its reliability.
Lord Lamborne and one Ribston Pippin are poor, that could be because of less flowers than usual on their aging Beauty of Bath pollinator.
My young bush apple trees won't have as much fruit as last year because our couple of puppy brats are being taught by their mother to grab an apple off each tree as they run past.

Lots of plums and pears though and they're on tall standard trees so should survive Irish Setter attacks.

A